title: Rat kidney glomerular basement membrane visualized in situ by embedment-free sectioning and subsequent platinum-carbon replication.
abstract: Following the removal of polyethylene glycol (PEG) from thin sections, and viewing through the endothelial fenestrae and/or the interpedicel spaces, the rat renal glomerular basement membrane in situ was revealed to consist of meshworks and to be electron-transparent when examined at right angles to the plane of the membrane. By subsequent platinum replication of the embedment-free sections, the lamina densa of the basement membrane appeared as a veil composed of rather closely packed particles. The architecture of the split diaphragm and the surface morphology of the endothelial cell membrane were also clearly revealed. The present results indicate that the PEG method, with or without replication, can provide valuable information on basement membrane morphology.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomy, School of Medicine, Kanazawa University, Japan.
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kondo
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D002244:Carbon; D005260:Female; D005614:Freeze Fracturing; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D008297:Male; D010984:Platinum; D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D051381:Rats
chemical_list: D011092:Polyethylene Glycols; D010984:Platinum; D002244:Carbon